


Heat

by orphan_account



Category: The Creatures | Cow Chop RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 19:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12688599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Aleks was sure that if he were the avatar, he would be a little shit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [personalized_radio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/personalized_radio/gifts).



Aleksandr didn't exactly expect kindness in life. His mother, his father, his 'friends'. Everybody had left, whether by choice or circumstance. Aleks was alone. From birth, he was used to rejection, to betrayal and he wouldn't let go of his apprehension. Not even for the waterbender with a temper sitting next to him.

 

"One day, I'm gonna find out your secret." James says, confident and Aleks feels a full bodied chill go down his spine, despite the warm summer weather, as the waterbender sitting by him gently contorts the pond in front of them. Aleks feels his palms itch as the flame inside of him threatens to roar up, but he clamps down on it. Despite all the pain it had caused him through the years, he missed bending. The feeling of flame on his hands, the sweat drips down his temples and heat curling the hair on the nape of his neck. But he knew he had to control himself. There was a reason he had to hide his bending.

 

            "-sandr. Aleksandr!" James yells and Aleks startles, feet disturbing the beautiful patterns James had contoured the water into. He flinches at the cool water touching his foot, bringing him back to the present. He turns to James, who looks annoyed (albeit concerned).

 

            "I've been talking for like, minutes, dude." James says, exasperated as he starts his work again on the chilled water. He pauses, one hand flitting to the left, to rest on Aleks' forehead. The blond stiffens, face heating up and James' eyes widen.

 

            "You're burning up, dude!" He exclaims and Aleks has to bite back a snort. He was always burning up. He supposes that he could give this one to James though. He subconsciously leans into the touch, wondering if this was what Brett meant when the earthbender had called him 'touch-starved'. James' hand moves away far too soon, however, as the waterbender stands and holds out a hand to Aleks. The firebender grasps at it, pulling himself up and enjoying the cool breeze on his face. James still looks concerned, but after they start taking a few steps back to camp, looking a little relieved that Aleks could still walk.

 

Their walk is silent, save for the crunching of dry summer grass under their bare feet. The bluejays and doves sit in the trees, cooing softly as James and Aleks walked by, oblivious to their presence. Aleks, despite the warm weather, burrows further into his parka. James seems to notice that, of all things, out of the corner of his eye. For a big, menacing waterbender, James sure seemed to care an awful lot, Aleks thinks bitterly. Soon enough, however, they're trodding into camp. Trevor and Brett sit on a carefully arranged log near a fire- one lit normally, instead of by bending, and Brett holds a pile of dirt in one hand.

 

            "Now, try it." Brett says gruffly and Trevor focuses on the pile of dirt. They're both oblivious to Aleks and James' arrival. Trevor was the youngest of them, a believed non-bender until he had nearly killed somebody to protect Joe. Speaking of...

 

            "Where's our avatar?" James pipes up from beside him and both he and the other two jump. The pile of dirt spikes a little and Trevor looks pleased but frustrated. Brett just looks annoyed.

 

            "Will you two please go back to your pillowtalk by the pond? We were making progress." He says, exasperated and while Aleks just flushes, James makes to complain before Joe emerges from a tent. His hair is down, covering the blue arrows trailing down each shoulder, but they emerge again down each arm. One arrow is straight down his forehead.

 

They called him the avatar. They being, of course, the villagers in every village they had come upon, until they just stopped going through villages. He was special, the only one of his kind and people would kill to get to him. To be him. It was dangerous for Joe, dangerous for Brett and Trevor and for James. It was dangerous for Aleks too, but he couldn't bring himself to care about that aspect.

 

Joe rubs sleep from his eyes, robes put on askew and a breeze around them picks up. Trevor shivers a little, more vulnerable in his commoner clothing. Brett takes pity on him, shrugging off his shawl and throwing it at Trevor, who barely catches it before toppling off of the log and nearly into the fire. Brett's hand shoots out and grabs his robes, essentially tossing Trevor to the side.

 

            "Careful. Can't learn how to bend if you're dead." Brett snorts and Trevor flushes, looking embarrassed. Even Aleks has to crack a smile at that, despite his dark thoughts. Joe clears his throat from the tent entrance and everybody turns to look at the avatar. He's happily flushed, as usual and the breeze slows down. He looks happy to see everybody- but that was Joe for you.. always happy, despite the circumstances. Aleks was sure that if he were the avatar, he would be a little shit.

 

            "I'm hungry! How about we eat and then get moving?" He claps his hands together and the fire roars higher, burning the tips of Trevor's robes.

 

Joe was the only firebender that the rest weren't afraid of. Anybody else was fair game, evidenced by the grudges the others held for them. Aleks was almost afraid to even think of his bending around the other, as if they could hear his thoughts. He was pretty sure Joe, in all his infinite avatar wisdom, already knew. But he couldn't be certain.

 

            James bumps his shoulder against Aleks, knocking him from his thoughts once again, and the secret firebender scowls. As much as he loved this life, he couldn't help but think that all the suffering in the Fire Nation was better than one affectionate shoulder bump from James. At least he knew how to handle the cruelty of his brethren.

 

Kindness, he didn't think he was used to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aleks was awoken by the heat of fire on his face.

Aleks felt heat on his face and a burning in his lungs as he ran, faster than he had ever run before. He could hear footsteps following his. Big, heavy, thundering footsteps and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck frizz at the heat of flames.

 

The whole village behind him was engulfed in them, and Aleks assumed the village in front of him was too. He slowed down, hearing the footsteps halt as well. All except for one pair of quiet, lithe sounds as they stopped behind him.

 

He tenses. And then laughs.

 

   "You should've seen them, Alyona! Yelling and crying." He chuckles as his sister pulls up next to him, wrapped in the traditional royal robes that matched his Fire Nation ones. He looks behind him, between his troops and the burning smoke of the village. A flame sparks from his fingers and he turns to his troops.

 

   "Burn them. Burn them all."

 

-

 

Aleks startles awake, sweat beads rolling down his temple and he's embarrassed at the burn of tears in his eyes as he looks up at James' concerned face. He sits up, ignoring James' hesitant questions. Aleks scrubs a hand over his eyes and takes a deep breath before standing.

 

   "I'm fine." He says gruffly, shutting down any room for comments, though James looks at though he would like to argue. He pushes through the flaps of their tent, however, and into the cool dawn air, blinking as dew drops hit his blond hairs from their drop downwards. He barely hears James emerge next to him, but feels the waterbender's presence at his side.

 

He's sure the other is about to speak, before a yell interrupts them. Aleks startles, James jumping to the side just in time for Trevor to come, almost bowling them down.

 

   "I'm gonna kill you!" Brett yells and materializes from seemingly nowhere, holding the shawl he threw at Trevor last night. It's soggy, covered in mud and Trevor seems sheepish. James looks between Aleks and Brett, as in gauging if Aleks would run if he took care of the situation at hand. Aleksandr just shrugs and James huffs.

 

   "Calm down. What happened?" James says, in what is an attempt to be placating, but really sounds patronizing. Aleks covers his eyes, groaning as Brett turns his fiery (ha) gaze upon James.

 

   "This little shit did some earthbending with my shawl." Brett growls and Trevor hides a bit behind Aleks, who snorts behind his hands. He rubs his own temples, willing down the heat-migraine that had already begun to rise. He had been getting those a lot lately, most likely a symptom of not bending. It's a moment before he realizes that somebody is talking to him.

 

James, Trevor and Brett look at him, concerned, previous feud forgotten in favor of worrying over their- their what? Friend? Partner? Acquaintance? He wondered if they'd still care if they knew his secret.

 

Their standoff was interrupted by the avatar emerging from the trees, arms laden with water jugs and some sort of root vegetable that looked suspiciously poisonous. The moment was shattered, leaving Aleks reeling, with a worse migraine than before. He ignores James' curious gaze in favor of helping Joe carry all the vegetables in (turnips, he had called them. A commoner food.).

 

By the time breakfast is made and laid out to be consumed, Aleks had tuned out his headache, and James- pretending he didn't feel the other's gaze on his back. He's zoning out again, trying not to focus on the pain in his head and his heart, when something at the edge of the woods catches his attention. It's nothing, just a dark shadow flitting by, perhaps an animal- but for a second, it had looked like-

 

   "-burn them. Burn them all."

 

Aleks jumps up, thoughts racing as the rest of his group startles to attention. He's breathing hard, he's acutely aware of, and the rest look at him like he's crazy.

 

   "Aleks, dude, are you okay?" James asks, and Aleks' attention is drawn to the familiar face of the waterbender.

 

   "What did you say?" He says, voice shaking and he sees Trevor and Joe exchange a meaningful glance.

 

   "I said that Brett burnt the food. Seriously, are you okay?" James says, moving to touch Aleks but stopping when the secret bender stiffened. Instead, he lowers his hand, hurt in his eyes.

 

Aleks says nothing else, turning heel and marching back to his tent. He can feel eyes on the back of his neck and knows one pair is honey-brown and concerned. He tunes out the worried whispers of his team in favor of shutting the flaps.

 

He sits down heavily on his bedroll, hands brought to his lap. Making sure, the flap is closed before conjuring up a small flame to light up the darkness of the tent. He can still hear the others conversing awkwardly, and knows his secret is safe for now.

 

But he could've sworn he had seen..

 

But it couldn't be her. He puts the flame out, peeking out the flaps of the tent to see everybody cleaning up the breakfast they had made. Together. He feels vaguely guilty for not helping. He knows he could go back out but...

 

Instead, Aleksandr falls back into a fitful sleep, hand clutched to his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alyona = Torch of Light in Russian ;)


End file.
